Robbie Coltrane, who plays Hagrid in the Harry Potter series has said there are doubts as to whether the half-giant will be back for Order of the Pheonix.

In an interview with Manchester Online, the Scottish actor revealed that he had yet to sign up for the next film, which will start filming next year. When asked about his contract he said, "We don't know yet. It's not negotiated yet."

Robbie is also surprised at reported remarks by actor Jim Dale, who voices the teenage wizard in the US audio books, that author JK Rowling has killed Harry off in her seventh and final novel.

He said that he does not know the ending to the series himself, as he has asked Rowling not to tell him. He does, however, know the future of the hairy half-giant Hagrid. "She told me what happens to Hagrid, because I couldn't do it unless I knew what the story was."